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These 33 Game-Changing Makeup Products Deserve To Be Given A Chance In Your Beauty Lineup
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BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Read More Including a holy grail tubing mascara, cult-fave rainbow eyeshadow palette, and beloved mini matte lippie set that are allllll under $10 👀. As a Senior Shopping Writer at BuzzFeed, I specialize in a broad range of topics, including beauty, cleaning, fashion, personal care, home, fitness, and my beloved “TikTok made me buy it.” My work has been featured across lifestyle and writing publications during my ten years in the digital media space, including Bustle, HuffPost, HelloGiggles, and The Washington Post. I was very adamant about not buying this for the longest time because I am stubborn about "expensive" beauty products, but this is worth every penny and then some. It's so lightweight and layerable, it's foolproof to apply, and I have yet to wear a single outfit it doesn't complement??? I love watching it instantly elevate a casual look or add simple elegance to dressy ones. I wear it every day now, and after weeks of use, I've barely made a dent. Also, and maybe this is just me, but I tend to get pigment on my teeth with a lot of lip products, and I've simply never had an issue with this magic stick. Anyway, watch this TikTok of someone using it on their lips AND cheeks, because I did and oops, this lipstick FELL into my cart. Get it from Amazon for $21.25 (also available in pink honey and nude honey, plus coordinating eye shadow palettes, mascaras, AND eyeliners!). The color-adaptive formula is designed so one of five shades will work on any skin tone. Promising review: "Took years off my eyes! This product is so reasonably priced. I came across a TikTok promoting this and decided to take a chance since the price was super reasonable. My eyes looked brighter in a good way, and the concealer worked so well that I felt I looked younger. I got compliments from friends asking what I did differently with my makeup. I recommend it." —Monica T. Get it from Amazon for $6 (available in five shades and in a setting powder). Promising review: "MCoBeauty really is becoming one of my favorite brands. For the product, packaging, and quality, the price cannot be beat. If one were to do a quick Google search, one would find that this brand is often recommended as a lower-cost alternative to many name-brand beauty products. Warm Terracotta is my new absolute favorite blush. The color gives me that 'just got back from the beach' look. The creamy formula blends out so easily, and I think the amount of product that is needed per use, this stick will last you forever." —Marissa Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in three shades and a two-pack). Check out a TikTok of the E.l.f. tubing mascara in action. I am not a new human to the tubing mascara game, and in fact readily spent $26 on the famous OG blend from Blinc every time it needed replacing. I didn't even love it for the length half as much as the fact that tubing mascara like this genuinely never smudges, but can I just say — regardless of price, the E.l.f. tubing mascara formula blows all the others I've tried out of the water. It gives me way more length and volume than other brands, slides on so much more easily, stays put ALL day, and never, ever smudges. My favorite part, though, is how gently and easily it comes off with soap and water. In the past, other mascara removals have felt rough on my lashes, but this comes off so fast that I'm like ??? was I even wearing mascara a minute ago?? Anyway, I hesitate even writing this review because I want to gatekeep the hell out of this before it sells out, but the world needed to know. I'm a big fan of the brown shade (which is what I'm wearing above!), but it also comes in black and soft black. Get it from Amazon for $8 (available in three shades). Promising review: "This is my favorite high-end mascara. I love how it fans out my lashes. Not clumpy at all and adds great volume and length to my lashes. The color is a rich black. Tried all the other popular ones and this is still my favorite, and it lasts a while, so I get the travel size because it always stays fresh." —Lioness Get it from Amazon for $12 (also available in a $16 travel size and a two-pack). Check out a TikTok of the Laneige Neo Blurring Powder in action. Promising review: "I loved this setting powder, it blurred my pores and blended my makeup so well that even my husband noticed. Wow! I will be buying more before people find it and sell it all out, hehehe." —Charlotte Laim Jerome Alexander is a small business that specializes in airbrush cosmetic products. HELLO — I found this through a recommendation on a Reddit beauty forum for people in their thirties, which mentioned that it performed like Dior's Airflash, and I am OBSESSED. I am not very skilled with makeup and was intimidated by the brush factor, but it's nearly foolproof. This foundation straight-up glosses over my pores and redness and makes my skin look so even-toned and natural that it doesn't look like I used much foundation at all. It's a bit price-y compared to brands I used in the past, but I'm still on my first bottle of it, and it's been three full months. I hope this never stops getting made. It is so lightweight and lovely and has made my makeup routine feel like a TREAT. Promising review: "Bought this because I saw it on TikTok, and it did not disappoint. I love the lightweight feel of it and how easy it is to build." —Smickens Get it from Amazon for $22.99 (available in 12 shades). Promising review: "Love this primer + setting spray! You get the perfect amount in the size bottle, and the spray mechanism came and worked perfectly fine. The packaging is sleek and professional, and when applied onto the face, it does not leave skin feeling oily or have that slimy texture left behind as some primers do. When used together with a full face of makeup, I swear it lasted over eight hours with no touch-ups. Perfect, perfect, perfect setting spray + primer choice. Will always buy!" —Lauren Snay Psst — this tool is double sided, so you can choose the thickness of your wing, and comes with two stamp pens — one for each eye! Promising review: "Best eyeliner ever! This item was a 'TikTok made me buy it' LOL but overall, I am truly happy with this purchase. Thank you! Your product is truly amazing!" —Samantha Lopez Get a set of two from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in three sizes and a combination pack). Promising reviews: "Clearly time I got a new eyeshadow palette. Sargent Freddie Mercury (my not-even 4-pound bunny) made it his mission to destroy my James Charles overpriced palette. This palette is the same quality, maybe even nicer. This eyeshadow was put on at around 3 p.m. and it's almost 1 a.m., the 'highlight' stayed on my nose even with my mask on through a whole day of work. That blew my mind." —Daniel T Adams Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in a neutral version). Promising review: "So let me start by saying I have used nearly every eyeshadow primer available. From high-end to low...they don't hold a candle to Thank Me Later. I have very oily skin. Using this primer, shadow lasts a full eight hours or more. I could get maybe five or six out of the other brands if I were lucky. I got this as a sample in my Ipsy bag, and I had to buy the full-size product straight away! I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Thank you, Elizabeth Mott, for finally making a primer that lasts! I love this stuff!" —Melissa Mae "Saw this used by a makeup artist on TikTok giving a tutorial for women over 40. Totally changed how my eyeshadow works. No clumping or crease lines!" —wo1995 Promising review: "Don't hesitate, just buy these. I was using the Real Techniques sponges for years, and I bought these on a whim after seeing several TikToks praising them. I love these sponges and the price. I apply liquid foundation with a damp sponge, and these work better than Real Techniques. They are dense but soft and 'bouncy.' I wash mine between each use, and these hold up very well and much better than the RT. Very happy with my purchase and the price. Will definitely continue to buy." —chris Get a set of five from Amazon for $5.99+ (available in five colors). Promising review: "Love all of Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balms! The toasted marshmallow is such a simple yet dainty color and super hydrating!" —Mandy S. Promising review: "I’ve tried expensive ones from Sephora, but this one outperforms them all. The precision actually mimics real hair. This is officially my new holy grail. Maybelline never fails. Best drugstore brand, period." —CaliConsumer Get it from Amazon for $10.99 (available in six shades). Here's what BuzzFeeder Chelsea Stuart has to say about it: "I wear very little makeup — especially on vacation — but there's something about doing my brows that makes me feel more put together. I recently went on a 12-day trip to the UK, Croatia, Montenegro, and Spain, and traveled carry-on only so I really had to pare down my toiletries — especially as the airports I traveled through made us condense all of our liquids into a single quart-size bag. This stuff is TINY but does the absolute most! I wouldn't say I have particularly thin or thick brows, but this really zhuzhed them up with next to no effort." Promising review: "The Boy Brow from Glossier was my ride or die eyebrow product for years, but the tubes are so small and they raised the price so I could no longer justify it. This brow glue is the closest thing I’ve found to it and it’s half the price! Will definitely repurchase." —Alex Get it from Amazon for $8.60+ (available in five shades, including clear, and in multipacks/bundles). Promising review: "I absolutely love the Wonderskin pHlush Stick! The color it creates when it reacts with my skin's pH is beautiful and natural-looking — like a custom blush shade made just for me. One of my favorite things about this product is its versatility. I can use it on both my cheeks and lips, which makes it perfect for a quick, coordinated look. The formula is wonderfully moisturizing and glides on effortlessly without tugging or dragging. Unlike many cream blushes, it doesn't leave any residue, feels completely non-sticky, and blends beautifully. It also has a very light, refreshing minty sensation that feels pleasant on the skin, and I appreciate that it's essentially fragrance-free." —EnGee Check out a TikTok of the Slipsticks in action. I *jumped* on this because I'm a huge fan of Clinique's Black Honey line — I'm wearing the Mauve Mentality shade that's meant to be an alternative to the $25 Nude Honey above! I love the consistency of this and the lightweight, buildable color. It's the perfect "keep this by the door/in a purse" lip tint that goes well with pretty much any outfit, since it's in that genre of "no makeup makeup." My only complaint is that you have to be careful not to twist it too high up, since the formula is kind of melty and makes it hard to twist back down. But otherwise this is an EXCELLENT everyday lippie to have in your arsenal!! Promising review: "Love these. Sheer, pigmented, but buildable, and don't feel heavy or thick or sticky like Wet 'N Wild lip oils do. I love that it's available in a stick option." —catina m. claytor Get it from Amazon for $10 (available in 14 shades). Promising review: "Love this eyeshadow stick. It’s the perfect color, blends out easily, and lasts all day." —Kristine Get it from Amazon for $26 (available in nine shades). Promising review: "I haven't bothered with a lip liner in years, but this has become my new obsession. This liner is truly about the best I've ever used. It is creamy in texture and glides on with ease. After lining, I fill in my whole lip. I've been leaving my lip with just the liner, because the color is so pretty. I find that the liner lasts even after eating or drinking something. Of course, for added depth of color, you'll want to touch up. I highly recommend L'Oreal Paris Blurfiller Lip Liner." —Nancy Get it from Amazon for $9.97 (available in eight shades). Promising review: "Love love love this stuff. This is such a stellar product that is so versatile. Can be worn alone to put some glowy life to skin. Add to foundation or layer it. Beautiful. Use it as a base where you put highlighter on top. Mix some with moisturizer. This, in my opinion, is better than so many high-luxury brands that make similar products. And I am pretty sure it can be used by all skin types. It’s not an oily feeling at all, and it doesn’t dry out the skin either. Just a total package. Can’t beat the price either." —Figgy08 Get it from Amazon for $14.97 (available in five shades and in multipacks). Promising reviews: "I have wasted hundreds of dollars on expensive primers only to discover this one and never use anything else. It's smooth as butter and exceptional. I had my makeup professionally done for a gala, and the MUA used this primer. She swears by it, and she is right! My makeup lasted the whole next day too, lol." —Angie B. "Finally able to get my hands on this, and it absolutely lives up to the hype! This is an amazing primer and really does visibly smooth and blur pores. I use my beauty blender to apply it, and a little goes a long way. It’s a perfect [alternative] for the Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer at a fraction of the cost." —Rebecca Check out a TikTok of the Baked Luminous Blush in action! Promising review: "Baked formulas are my absolute favorites when it comes to blushes and bronzers. These CoverGirl ones are magnificent. I knew I would like these just by looking at them, but they are even better than expected. I have seen many videos online comparing this formula to Hourglass. These CoverGirl ones have great quality, and they are worth every penny. The blushes are very pigmented but at the same time easy to build and blend. They are luminous but not shimmery or sparkly, and they don't enhance texture or pores. I got them in the shades Rose Latte and Strawberry Drizzle, and I will probably get the other two as well. The bronzer is also great. The shade I bought, Honey Bun, has a rosy undertone that goes very well with my skin tone. Like the blushes, it is very easy to blend and build." —Yise Get it from Amazon for $9.97 (available in eight blush and bronzer shades). Promising review: "I’ve tried all kinds of primers. This one is by far my favorite! I sweat easily and therefore have a greasy T-zone, which can cause my makeup to come off throughout my workday and look splotchy. But this stuff doesn’t do that at all! It’s inexpensive and does wonders. Highly recommend. Especially for a long day of work. I’ve even worked out in my makeup before after work, and was surprised to see that my makeup still looked decent. I was shocked." —Tess Rhue Promising review: "I love these. I bought the two darkest colors, Desert Sculpt and Chestnut Sculpt, since I am light olive. I have read some other reviews about not being buildable/layered with other colors, but I don't think this is meant to be layered. This is a one-stop shop smoky eye look. I am sure you can build/layer a little, but I wanted a one-color smoky eye, and I got it. I have her color pots, so I wanted her stick to try. Thinking about getting another color, but I really wanted a semi-matte, so these two colors really work for me. Very creamy and very easy to blend. Colors are beautiful." —MS Get it from Amazon for $32 (available in five shimmering shades and five matte ones). Promising review: "Throughout high school, I never knew how to do makeup. But then I heard this product was the absolute best on TikTok. And trust me, they were not lying. It has really good coverage and hides my 'raccoon eyes.' And the best part is that a little bit goes a long way. So if you’re starting out or want to try something new, I definitely recommend you try this out." —Liela Lee Check out BuzzFeed's full review of Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Concealer for more deets. Get it from Amazon for $9.98+ (available in 23 shades). Promising review: "Great lip tint that's buildable. It dries soft to the touch with no transfer. Lasts hours! Can be drying on the lips, so I put a lip oil on top of this lip tint — the tint doesn't budge or smear away. I'm buying more of these!" —Abelle Get it from Amazon for $7.50+ (available in six shades). Check out a TikTok of the Nyx Epic Wear Liquid Liner in action. Here's what BuzzFeeder Amanda Davis, pictured above, has to say about it: "I'm wearing the blue liner there on the left, and the reviews are 100% right. This liner LASTS. I love to throw it on top of my usual black liner when I want an extra pop on a night out or am just feeling a little "adventurous." The liner's super thin tip glides nicely and makes it easy to be precise, too!" Promising review: "Guys, I have hella hooded eyes, and any time I tried those expensive Sephora or Ulta eyeliners, they would smudge or fade INSTANTLY. I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!!!! The color pops, it's easy to use, and it NEVER SMUDGES, NEVER FLAKES, DOES NOT MOVE IN WATER!!! I fell asleep with it on, and it looked like I had just applied it when I woke up. ... Best eyeliner out there, take it from a girl who has tried ALL of those expensive eyeliners (Stila, Urban Decay, YOU NAME IT). I will never switch to anything else." —Jacky Get it from Amazon for $9.47+ (available in 14 shades). Promising review: "Blends so smoothly. It melts into your skin. Not too pigmented but definitely buildable. Looks very natural. The staying power is excellent! I put it on at 6 a.m., and at 9 p.m., it’s still holding strong. Best bang for your buck." —LAURA KASS Get it from Amazon for $7 (available in seven shades). Promising review: "I love this product! It’s a very good tint and the color is great! The gloss is also very hydrating! The only thing I will say is the description is 'rose-tinted' and while the color is perfect and spot on, if you don’t like the smell of roses, this may not be the product for you. But overall, I personally love the product and can’t wait to continue using it and to try other colors!" —Sephora Customer Get it from Sephora for $28 (available in three shades). Promising reviews: "This stuff is so legit I’ve gone through three bottles. Adds the perfect glow to your skin! Sometimes I use it under foundation and sometimes I use it solo with a bit of concealer. I will never not repurchase it for the price and how beautifully it sits on the skin. This stuff is viral for a reason!!" —mapagill "If you like Charlotte Tilbury, flawless filter this is leaps and bounds better! Just buy it. The coverage is better, [it] makes my skin have the most amazing natural glow! The colors run with a more warm/yellow undertone which worked great for me! Spend a fraction of the price and just get it, you will be happy you did!" —Amazonreview Get it from Amazon for $13.22+ (available in 15 shades). Promising review: "For the price, this is an amazing highlighter. I heard about it on TikTok and I decided to try it out. I love it! Definitely recommend for an alternative highlighter if you’re not trying to spend a lot of money." —Salina Get it from Amazon for $5.47+ (available in three shade combos). Check out a TikTok of the Magic Shaper Face Cream Palette in action. Promising review: "So impressed with the Catrice palette. This palette has everything you need to sculpt bronze and blush. The price is cheap and the product lasts forever. Very blendable and pigmented." —Amazonreview Promising review: "What can I say? I saw a TikTok about this lipstick, and for $10, I had to try it! The reviews are right. For some reason this lipstick is better than even $20 name-brand ones bought from Ulta. Not only does it smell great, but dries in under a minute and survived eating a cupcake, a Starbucks drink, and an entire evening out, no smudging, and had to be removed with a makeup wipe. Fantastic product!!" —Claire "Beautiful colors, though one shade is too pale for my skin color, but all the others are a perfect shade. This lipstick is long-lasting. I had dinner and it was still on. It’s a matte lipstick, so don’t expect it to be moisturizing. Excellent price. It’s worth it. I will definitely buy again." —Vanessa Get a six-piece set from Amazon for $7.99 (available in six sets). * Clinique Black Honey, Golden Amber Body Mist, And 32 Other Beauty Products You’ll Want For Fall * These 33 Game-Changing Makeup Products Deserve To Be Given A Chance In Your Beauty Lineup * Quit Whining About Being In A Beauty Rut And Try These 34 Newer, Already Beloved Beauty Products Instead * Beauty Products Reviewers Say They’ve Been Using For Years Plus, finds from Amazon, Glossier, The Ordinary, Sephora, Soko Glam, Tarte, Ulta, and Walmart. BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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